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8 Pharmaceutical Technology TRENDS IN MANUFACTURING 2022 eBOOK P h a r mTe c h . c o m Solid Dosage Technological advances T he c u r rent dy n a m ic env i ron ment i n t he manufacturing industry means companies are increasingly searching for technical advances t h at he lp t he m b e t t e r w it h s t a nd on goi n g disruption while future-proofing their produc- tion processes. One field that is ripe for innova- tion is automation. Complex cha l lenges ca n be ef fec t ively ad- dressed by automating parts of the manufac- turing c ycle. Automation not only increases productivity, but it also reduces human error and certain labor-intensive processes involved in manufacturing OSD. More advanced automa- tion may also be the key to unlocking continu- ous manufacturing in the pharmaceutical indus- try, which would lead to widespread increases in yield, reductions in costs, and fewer instances of humans handling products. Maintaining safety and quality with AI In addition to reducing unplanned downtime, pharmaceutical manufacturers are looking to cutting-edge technologies to get OSD products to market faster than ever before and without compromising sa fet y a nd qua lit y sta nda rds. Inspection equipment, for example, has an im- portant role to play in packing to ensure every dose is manufactured and delivered exactly as intended. This enables manufacturers to effec- tively meet supply chain demands for end-to- end quality and minimize errors. The latest visual inspection systems incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to detect even the smallest manufacturing defects, especially with low contrast products and foil combinations. Some systems require almost no human involve- ment, as the machine keeps learning new behav- iors, to continually improve efficiencies. Counteracting counterfeiting Another important part of maintaining high s a fet y a nd qu a l it y st a nd a rd s is promot i ng t r a nspa renc y w it h i n pha r maceut ic a ls , a nd it remains a crucia l issue for manufacturers. At least one in 10 medical products in develop- ing countries is now falsified or sub-standard, according to the World Health Organization (2). Complex supply chains and online sales make it increasingly difficult to track products and their distribution, creating opportunities for cou nter feiters. Howe ver, for wa rd-t h i n k i ng track-and-trace systems now provide advanced serialization, aggregation, and anti-counterfeit- ing solutions that follow and protect medicines throughout the supply chain. These innovations are becoming essential as conventional methods—such as using packag- One way manufacturers are tackling unplanned downtime is with the use of digital predictive maintenance technologies as part of a proactive approach. Ensuring manufacturing processes are as seamless as possible is crucial to meeting these growing trends, especially in an uncertain economic environment where every penny counts.